A blog devoted to all things related to running in Brooklyn. It's designed to provide information and help us all get better while we learn about the people we pass while running in Prospect Park, over the Brooklyn Bridge or down to Coney Island. Comments/thoughts/announcements can be sent to brooklynrunning(at)gmail.com.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Gangs of 4

Was running an easy 7 miles today because of a 5K tomorrow, and was struck by the number of groups I saw in Prospect Park and on the roads leading to the Brooklyn Bridge.

It's actually something I've noticed for the past several weeks, and I realize this is purely anecdotal, but the number of groups (2, 3, 4 or more) of runners - at all hours -- I've seen seems to be increasing. And this is ultimately a good thing. I love running on my own, but I'll be the first to admit that running with someone else can add another element that makes the run both enjoyable and successful.

I tend to do group runs on the weekend, and then probably once during the work week (work and family commitments often make it difficult to schedule more than that, something I know that weighs on a lot of my colleagues, especially the ones with young children). But I've found that the extra effort in trying to schedule runs and speed workouts with my friends is well worth it. Not only does it help me when I'm trying to run faster, it also helps to control me when I'm seeking to run slower.

Happily, there are plenty of clubs out there that have scheduled groups runs, where you can meet up with folk, make friendships/alliances, and then set up your own runs. Local running stores also tend to be sponsoring runs, so check them out.

Some links below to some of the area clubs and organizations: Scheduled workouts are available on their sites. There's also Team in Training, which has some Brooklyn-based workouts, and more formal workouts with stores like JackRabbit (though this involves a fee), as does the Brooklyn Bridge Boot Camp (not solely fixated on running).